[Lowfer] Swapfest Times

[WE0H]

Boy, I wish I could find a vacuum variable cap for 14 bucks. I need one out
in the tuner box. Sounds like a good time to me. I haven't been to a real
hamfest in many years. I got all the computer stuff that I need. I miss the
old cheep radios and digging through the parts piles.

Mike>WE0H
http://www.we0h.us/lf.html

-----Original Message-----
From: lowfer-admin@mailman.qth.net [mailto:lowfer-admin@mailman.qth.net]On
Behalf Of Peter Barick
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 4:20 PM
To: lowfer@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Lowfer] Swapfest Times

Re: Swapfest Happenings In The Area [Long]

This weekend had me make a trek to Peoria, IL, for a swapfest. It's
grown to 3 days and since I missed it last year, I decided to go for two
days this time. Glad I did. First, the time from the house & xyl and
being in the company of electronics guys was great. We all need that
break. So the grass didn't get done, the windows wern't washed, nor my
laundry, it can all wait, the big hamfest can't.

Weather was just right for the outside sales (lots of it) and Sat. nite
sleeping in the Jetta was as restful as home but lacking the plumbing.
Plus, it rained early Sunday morning and that made it like camping.
Local diners fed me and I found a Dunkin Donuts for essential java.

At times like these I have to play it safe and I did that. I took
plenty of cash with lots of singles and fives (don't want to have to
barter down a 500 pf vacuum cap to $14 and pay with a $50. Heh heh.)
Knowing that winter is coming because Mike is putting final touches on
that loop, I wanted to stock up on winter essentials and junk box stuff.
So, knowing there was little I could do about that "buy-buy electronics"
propensity I'm afflicted with, I used the Jetta as a conscious (smallish
size), knowing we'd all have to get home togather on a set of old tires
at that. Ha, and it seemed to work just fine.

Found lots of PCs and Macs being dumped and abandoned. Seems If it's
under 300 MHZ, it's a junker. Got one of those too, $0! Lot's of
10-year-old software that also made its way to the growing scrap piles.
Found a formally missing doc book there. Of course there were the
parking lot rows of cars and vans with electronic stuff. New for me,
were the SM resistors. got a 50 ohm one for a dummy load. The guy said
the tiny chip should handle 10 watts when clamped down. We'll see. Lots
of vendors with big displays selling packaged antennas, whips and
connectors were prevalent.

Lacking, however, were small components, ie, transistors and associated
passive components. Builders gone? Dunno. Tubes are almost gone except
for the few repairman boxes of tv tubes that no one uses. The last time
I saw an 807, they were $10-20!! 4X-xxxs? None.

Mostly men at these things, save for a few wives in the campers/motor
homes. But where are the young boys that one used to find picking
through the "junk boxes"? Nary a one. Most of the guys are older too.
Yeeks for the future, then maybe the young ones are working those third
jobs to pay off those 4WD SUVs the wives take--where?--SHOPPING.

Only a few rigs that I noticed, and NO SLMs, Mike. One Collins R-90
went fast and that was it. Oh, interesting, I South Bend Lathe (large)
on rolling metal table went for a mere $1,250. Mostly lookers, but the
buyer left and returned with a Suburban and 4-wheel trainer and his ham
wife who helped push the manly toy up the ramp. What a woman! Ahem, I
didn't get her call. But he looked like he just landed a prized big bass
on a light line. What a catch, too, that South Bend.

The Jetta got me home w/ several hundred pounds of "winter sustenance,"
but missing fifth gear for the last 60 miles (linkage I think). Yep, the
wife greeted me on bailing out, saying that pound for pound something
had to go, er else. "Sure, dear." But just then I was tired of being a
swapfest bum and wanted a beer--no time for words. Next weekend I'll
have to work it all off and tidy up a bit, as a matter of guy speak. Oh
well....

Peter